Category: "The Fearlessness Series"

One of my life anthems has become made popular once again, so I thought many generations could appreciate this. Whether you heard this song first from the legendary Barbara Streisand in the memorable musical, Funny Girl or from the popular hit series Glee, “Rain on My Parade” is really a DreamCatchers Anthem and below I will outline just a few reasons why.

“Don’t!”

Which is the first word Barbara says in the movie before breaking out into song. My friend and I always say , “I’mma have to stop you right there…”, when we want to illustrate someone cutting another person off before they can finish their negative thought. You have to protect your subconscious. As Emerson puts it , you must, “stand guard at the portal of your mind”. If you have someone in your life who is notorious for being a naysayer or you can tell is about to shower you with stories of impossibility. Just tell them “Don’t” and save yourselves both a lot of time and heartache.

“Don’t tell me not to live just sit and putter”

If you’re like me, you have a lot of people around you that love you dearly who also happen to be very smart. If you do, consider yourself lucky, I know I do. However, a draw back to keeping such great company is not everyone shares your same life mission, and that can get tricky. When these people advise you, their main interest is your security, safety, success and ultimately happiness (arguably in that order). They say, I want you to be happy, and then proceed to outline a number of things that you have already told them would NOT make you happy. How is that possible? It’s possible because normally what they are describing is the safest and securest route.

Remember, usually they are thinking safety and security over your happiness. They get confused, because your security equals Their Happiness. Sometimes our loving community forgets to put our happiness first, and instead interject theirs. That is why I suggest you be discerning in the advice you take. When you are talking about truly living and they are suggesting you “just sit and putter”, say thank you for your advice (knowing it’s coming from a loving place) and continue working on Walking in your Destiny.

“Who told you’re allowed to rain on my parade?”

Great question right? Sometimes we give people a lot of power when it comes to our lives. We allow others to discourage us from pursuing our dreams when they express doubt or even disgust. There is a Chinese Proverb that says “Those who say it is impossible should not interrupt those who are doing it”. In other words, many times we find ourselves submerged in our new project and out of nowhere people will come with their negative opinions. Who told them they could come rain on your parade? The answer, actually surprisingly, is “You”.

You have full control over whether you Allow someone’s take on your life affect you or not. A helpful quote I always remember is “what other people think of me is none of my business”. We get so wrapped up in what other people’s opinion or judgment is of what we are doing, that we let it control our actions. Write down the reasons you have swimming in your head as to why you cannot pursue your Dreams. If any of them have to do with what someone else may do or say, you are essentially telling people they are allowed to rain on your parade. Scratch those reasons off your list, take back your power and keep pushing toward your Dream!

“Don’t tell me not to fly I’ve simply ’ve got to, if someone takes a spill its me and not you”

Probably my favorite line out of the song. When you really get that intuitive nudge to do something and it makes your heart sing, you simply have to fly with the idea. Sometimes you don’t know where it will lead, but it doesn’t even matter because taking action on the idea is the most important at that initial moment. People may ask “So how is that going to work out?”, “What is the end result going to be?”. If you don’t have a PowerPoint presentation about how it’ll work out to your benefit, they will be shutting down your operation before you can even get ready for lift off.

In most cases, whomever is weighing in negatively will not be directly affected by the outcome. It’s your life and if you’re willing to take the risk, who are they to say you can’t? Now, I have used this train of thinking with my parents and they say, “I’m going to have to bail you out if this doesn’t work”. The truth is, that’s a choice on their part. The same goes for the people in your life. If they feel they are going to have to pick up the pieces, it’s really only if they choose to. If You are the parent who has to consider their kids lives, I say also, trust in your resilience. Having someone rely on you is a great motivator to keep working towards your goal no matter what. In the end, it’s your life “with great power. comes great responsibility”, if you can accept this you are well on your way to making your Dream a Reality.

“I gotta fly once, I gotta try once, only can die once, right sir?”

Give it a shot. Sometimes we get an idea and then overanalyze it to death. Why not just get the spark of inspiration and run with it. I always believe God doesn’t give us a Vision without Provision. What does that mean? The reason you were lit up with the idea in the first place is because there is a need for it somewhere in the world and God is going to provide you with Everything you need to see it through to fruition. All that’s needed on your part is patience and determination. As long as you won’t be hurting yourself or others, consider your idea as a gift from the Universe. There is a quote that says “A coward dies a thousand deaths; A hero dies but one”. Sometimes you just have to go for it. We only get one life to live, we should do the things that make us excited. This line of the song always gives me permission to fly and give my idea a go.

“Nobody, no, Nobody is gonna rain on my parade”

I really could write something for each line of this song as they all have little nuggets of power within them. Now you have the information you need to go forth to Discover Your Dreams and Walk in your Destiny. You can fill your days saying (or singing) the last line of the song “Nobody, No, NO-BO-DYYYY is Gonna Rain On MY PARADE!”

Now it’s your turn! What is your Anthem for blocking out the negative chatter? If you don’t have one get one today and then tell me what you chose. What are other strategies you use to keep on going when you’re feeling discouraged? Let me know in the comments, Facebook or Twitter. Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter for freebies, updates and insights and I’ll be talkin’ to ya soon!!

Story time!

Once upon a time in a land far away named DreamLandia, there lived two groups of people, the Lightening Strikers and the Sparkies. Both of these groups wanted their Dreams to come true, but they went about making that happen in two very different ways.

I’ll tell you about the Lightening Strikers First…

A typical day in the life a Lightening Striker looks likes this:

They fill their days talking with one another about the simple mathematics of simply needing One Big Great Idea, selling it for millions and then retiring for life.

They spend the rest of their day waiting for that One Big Great Idea bolt of lightening to strike.

They spend a lot of energy trying to ignore the nagging reality that years have passed by and no lightening bolt yet.

They spend the rest of their energy trying to stay hopeful about the ever elusive “one day” that, they are pretty sure, will happen…though their hope dwindles a bit with each passing day.

On the Other Hand…We have The Sparkies…

What a day in the life of a Sparky looks like:

They fill part of their day thinking of ways to bring their spark of an idea into fruition.

They fill the majority of their day taking action and making their spark of an idea a reality.

They use a lot of energy being innovative, thinking outside of the box and persevering in the face of adversity.

They spend the rest of their energy enjoying the fruits of their labor and being satisfied about the fact they are go getters and actively pursue their dreams.

Sparkies are confident of the fact that if their one spark of an idea doesn’t work out, there will always be another soon, (that’s the beautiful thing about sparks).

Which Group Do You Belong To?

When it comes to pursing your Dream which group of people do you fall in. We are all making our way to DreamLandia and without a doubt fall into one of these groups. Those waiting for Lightening to Strike (the Lightening Strikers) or those who work with Sparks of Inspiration (the Sparkies). If you are in the former group, I would suggest that you consider joining the latter. Both groups have Pros and Cons, so before you make your final decision let’s explore those for moment.

First let’s take a closer look at the Lightening Strikers…

The Pros & Cons of Being a Lightening Striker

Pros

Comfort

Lightening Strikers stay very cozy in their comfort zone. They get to sit around looking at the sky waiting on One Big Great Idea to come. They don’t have to deal with the judgement and disproval of their peers and they don’t have to go out on a limb very often if ever.

Dreamy Dream Stage

There is nothing more fun than dreaming and conjuring up what’s going to happen “one day”. Lightening Strikers get to feel ambitious without having to really do anything. They can dream a big dream, talk about it all day and even earn the envy of their peers. The dream stage is a fun place to be and Lightening Strikers stay in this stage all the time.

Cons

Waiting is a Passive Act

The most detrimental thing about being a Lightening Striker is their m.o. is “waiting”. If you are always waiting on something to happen you are only being a passive observer in your life. When you wait, you are in a state of non action which repels the Universe and keeps your blessings sitting stagnant. Which brings us to the next con which is..

Spiritual Inertia

In this post we talked about inertia or what I called in this post Spiritual Inertial since I am not referring to a physical object, but more about state of Being. When you are in a state of non action or non movement, the Laws of the Universe tell us that you will tend to stay in that state. So when Lightening Strikers are waiting passively for something BIG to happen they are doing nothing to move themselves forward which makes the likelihood of lightening to strike even less probable. If Lightening Strikers were to take action even a small action, the rules of the Universe and physics tell us, that small act is enough to start a forward motion that will sustain itself as long as nothing gets in our way.

No Storms

The biggest bummer about being Lightening Striker has got to be this simple fact. Lightening may NEVER Strike. How many people in your life have been struck by lightening? (I’m really sorry to hear that you know someone if you do!) My point is that it is an extremely rare occurance. Waiting for lightening to strike is used as a cliche to talk about waiting in vain for something because, while it can happen, the odds are not in your favor. Being struck by lightening by no means is an impossibility. It is simply an improbability and certainly not worth waiting your life away to see if it happens to you or not.

The Pros & Cons of Being a Sparky

CONS

Being a Sparkie isn’t just a walk in the park either, let’s start with the cons this time…

You’re Going to Be Unpopular

A spark signifies an idea that has potential but is hardly developed. If you begin spending your time and energy on something that appears to the masses (your friends, family, onlookers), as an unfruitful endeavor, you are going to be written of faster than they can say “you’re crazy”. You aren’t interested in being popular, so you could care less about what other people think? That’s great, but be prepared. When people disapprove, they rarely do so silently. You are going to get an earful of their unsolicited opinions about your life. To be a Sparkie you have to be ready for all of that and still continue on your path.

Sparks Fizzle

The beautiful thing about sparks, is they pop up often, way more often than bolts of lightening. The negative thing about Sparks is if they are not cultivated in the right way, they can fizzle out as fast as they occurred. As a Sparkie your full time job is staying positive and staying on course. Every idea you work on may not bring you riches, popularity or peace of mind, however, if you stay on course something will absolutely work out that will fill your soul with happiness. Sparkies can not afford to be people that wallow in their misery, think of only negative out comes and tire easily. Don’t get discouraged by a fizzle, keep your eyes (heart and mind) open for the next spark to occur.

It is A LOT of Work

There is nothing glamorous about being a Sparky. Not at first anyway. Pay off comes, but it’s takes a TON of work to get to that stage. If you are wanting to lay on your couch, sipping cocktails and hope money, success, fulfillment and peace fly through the door, you need to sign up for the next Lightening Strikers meeting, because that is your group! If you are willing to do what it takes to make your Dreams come true, you can run with the Sparkies. It is a tough road. You will face adversity, you will experience what you will identify as failure and you will run out of energy, motivation and..sparks. You won’t always get your 8 hours of sleep, you won’t be able to attend every social event and you are going to be/feel alone most of the time. Instead of focusing on how tired/lonely/hungry you are, you must focus on your idea. You don’t have time to be bothered with those outside distractions. To be Sparky means you are on your hustle, grinding everyday and working harder than anyone else out there.

However there is a brighter side…

PROS

The Universe Favors Action

By being a Sparky you are in favor of the Universe. By simply taking action and moving on a spark of an idea, the Universe response by opening doors and pathways to make your Dreams come true. Sure it’s hard work, but when you are igniting the magic of the Universe you really can’t lose.

The Power of Simply Getting Started

There is power in simply getting started. You build confidence by overcoming your fears, you gain momentum by taking action, you begin to trust yourself more and more as you attempt things you thought were impossible and you enjoy little success along the way. You begin to see that all of your little steps have brought you to some BIG accomplishments and that is the goal.

Your Spark may Grow into Something Big

While the likelihood for a Lightening Striker to get their wish is low, Sparkies are living in a world of Possibility & Probability. If you are working with your sparks of ideas and seeing them through, you are putting the odds in your favor. You are much more likely to experience, success, satisfaction and a happy state of being by working on your sparks of inspiration and watching them grow into something you at first only imagined. Remember the sweetness about Sparkies is they take little steps to arrive to some big accomplishments. If if it takes a bunch of little sparks put together, when you look back in a year, you will see you have made a lot of progress in turing your Dreams into reality.

I’ll leave you with this thought. On your path to DreamLandia, which group are you going to identify with. Those sitting around waiting for lightening to strike or those who can take action and be inspired by just a spark of an idea?

Rachel Carson was quoted saying “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in” We as adults have completely gotten away from learning how to be childlike, however, being childlike is exactly what we should be striving for. We spend all of those years being told to “grow up” and longing to be older, when really it’s the kids who have it right the whole time.

In my Spiritual studies, I find the reoccurring themes of feeling real joy, being present, tap into your creativity etc. What I have found that a lot of qualities that I have lost, were all in me once, and are here now…I just need to dig them out. I think rediscovering your inner childlike qualities can really help on the path of Enlightenment.

They know how to let loose and forget about their troubles. Have you ever seen kids playing in the pits of colorful balls? Or maybe running around in the sprinkler? Have you ever been around kids you are indifferent too, until you hear their squeals of delight and happiness and find yourself smiling and being filled with joy? Kids have a way of tapping into the pure essence of happiness and joy like nobody else.

This became apparent to me after a long day of shopping. My friend and I were looking for something (can’t remember what) and had taken her little niece with us. Poor thing was tired and totally over the shopping excursion and was dragging behind. We decided to take her to the toy floor of Neiman Marcus. It was around Christmas time and the whole floor was FILLED with plush toys. It was awe inspiring. White teddy bears 5 ft tall, rocking horses with glittering tinsel drapped around their necks, Beanie Babies everywhere and baby dolls of every fashion. My awe was broken by the clapping, squealing and SHEER delight from my friends niece. She ran into the wonderland giggling, bouncing and making the most delightful noises. I couldn’t believe how she completely had gone to another plane and was no longer with us. She was in a Utopia and I remembered being her age and being in that same state. From that moment on I knew I had to one day get back to being able to reach that state of pure, true joy.

What helps children reach this state on my list as #2

2) Inhibition

I find many adults admire this quality about children. If you smell bad they’ll tell you that you stink! If they are upset there is no question about it, they will show you. If they have to go to the bathroom, well, they’ll go, right in the middle of a crowed room and be proud of it. Now, I’m not suggesting we as adults should actually go back and do such things. I am suggesting that the inhibition that is needed to do these things is worth tapping back into. A lot of us have dreams and aspirations and the main thing keeping us from those things is FEAR! It’s the Fearlessness that is going to be the thing that separates you from your fears. Try getting rid of the ability to be so embarrassed all the time. Don’t worry about looking a fool and just go after what you want!

Which leads me right into the third characteristic I admire about children…

3) Confidence

Children don’t look left or look right. They just go full steam ahead. Tell them to put on a play for you. Doesn’t even matter if they have never even SEEN a play. They will stand tall recite some made up lines (that may or may not make sense) and not once second guess themselves. Kids don’t speak in a whisper, they practically yell! Never thinking, “what if I don’t sound smart enough?” or “will people not like me?”. I think there is a lesson there. I now find myself in meetings where no one speaks ups when the floor is opened. I know I sit staring at my hands…ideas swarming around in my head…but what will everyone think? I find myself speaking almost inaudibly if I’m unsure of something. What is that about? Let’s forget we were ever taught to think we can’t do it all. Tie a sheet to your back, jump off of the side of a couch like you are Super (Wo)Man and start speaking up!

Lastly, and most profoundly is point #4

4) Being Present

Children live in the Present. They are not usually worried about what happened yesterday, definitely don’t have their brains all occupied with what is going to happen tomorrow or perfecting their 5 to 10 year plan. They are brand new in every moment, well, until they learn otherwise, that is, until we teach them otherwise. A child can be calmly playing with a toy completely content and happy with life. Take the toy away and immediately they are upset showing it, completely in the moment of sadness or anger. Give the toy back, the tears turn reduce into sniffles and soon there is happiness once again. The child is no longer thinking of how upset he or she just was over the toy being taken away and certainly by the next day, the child is not holding onto the grudge of that incident happening for sure. Being Present for me is the hardest thing as an adult. While it is fine and nice to not dwell on the past of the future, I feel I have to in order to calculate how I should be living my Present moment. However, as I expand my Spiritual studies everything tells me that really NOW is all we have and all we control and if we live in that place the past and future take care of themselves. So here is to trusting, having faith and living in the moment.

Lucky for us we live among great gurus of how to be more childlike. Take time out and observe the these wonderful teachers we know as our very own youth.

“If you must hold yourself up to your children as an object lesson, hold yourself up as a warning and not as an example.” – George Bernard Shaw

Alas, regardless of their doom, the little victims play! No sense have they of ills to come nor care beyond today. – Thomas Gray

How will you tap into your inner child-like qualities today?

What did I miss? What do our youth know, that we adults seem to forget?

Let me know in the comments below. You can also join the discussion by following me on Twitter, joining the Facebook Community and signing up for the newsletter for updates and inspiration.

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Jennifer Covington is a Business Strategist, Action Instigator and Life Coach. She specializes in helping creative entrepreneurs go from vision to implementation in 30 days or less. Join her 30 Day Challenge: From Passion to Action at www.JenniferCovington.com.

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